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Stephen Coates :

09 Oct 2013 8:43:00am

During the discussion on multiculturalism, a comparison was made between comments made by an individual living in an a relatively isolated location with those of a broadcaster. Unfortunately, this contained a subtext that that it is intolerable to offend non-whites, women, non-Anglo Saxon and/or non-Christian religions but that comparably offending whites, men and/or Anglo Saxon Australians, Americans, British etc is tolerable. Recognition that acceptance of cultures is not a one-way street is necessary for multiculturalism to be less of contentious issue.

J.G.N.A.U :

Graham Bell :

11 Oct 2013 10:18:34am

It has taken a few days for my anger to subside after hearing the interview with Prof. Jakubowicz on Multiculturalism in Australia.

The basic concept of multuiculturalism is great - however, its implementation in Australia has been not only destructive and divisive but a delight for racist extremists .... not quite what it is supposed to do for us.

I was lucky enough to be raised in a genuinely multicultural environment - which is one reason I can scoff at the enduring false history of a mythical monocultural and intolerant Australia decades ago.

It was that fortunate upbringing that helped keep me alive in a very nasty war. It was that upbringing that allowed me to thrive as an ex-pat in East Asia and then later, to do reasonably well when interacting with people from that region. That upbringing was the foundation of my East Asian and Eurpoean language and cross-cultural skills..

None of that matters here in Australia. So far as the racist enthusiasts for the fake "multiculturalism" imposed on Australians are concerned, I am nothing but a boagan, a yobbo, a "Hansonite"(whatever that is supposed to mean), an object of bigotry and hate.

The sooner this imitation "multiculturalism " is ditched, the sooner we can have genuine tolerance and healthy social interaction among all residents of this country as well as new arrivals.

JGNAU: Why keep on trying to build bridges when sanctimonious boofheads keep burning them down - in the name of their diseased version of "multiculturalism"?

J.G.N.A.U. :

11 Oct 2013 1:55:47pm

Gandhi wrote in his autobiography: "I like the wind of multiculturalism but I do not want it to blow so strong that it blows me off my feet." Do people with the most extreme views fan wars? Best to build bridges instead I dare say and provide rice or bread, water, a bed and a blanket for the homeless.

Graham Bell :

14 Oct 2013 9:26:39pm

Thank you, JGNAU, for your quote from Mohandas Gandhi. How apt!

Perhaps we can build bridges after all .... but only if we build them out of steel and concrete so as to withstand the vicious attacks on them by those have an illogical hatred of easy-going and quite tolerant native-born Australians .... and only if we have guards on them to prevent them being misused by very nasty, very greedy people who generate hatred for their own personal gain - regardless of how much damage they cause.

And No!, I'm not talking about Hanson here; she was only ever a bothersome ordinary nationalist and a very convenient target. I'm talking about real racists, hypocritical racists who keep their racism carefully hidden from view .... and in my experience, it is they who are so quick drag out the Hanson bogeyman whenever they smell grant money or whenever they want to get their own way.

Let's just have give-and-take relations between people of differing backgrounds; good hearted interactions where each learns from and respects the other. It's not a zero-sum game at all - as both "sides(??)" of the multicultural squabbles would try to have us all believe.